Leishmania infantum, the causative agent of visceral leishmaniasis (VL) in Brazil, is spread mostly by the bite of the sand fly Lutzomyia longipalpis (Lutz & Neiva). We trapped sand flies in endemic neighborhoods near Natal, Brazil, where cases of human and dog VL were documented. Amplification of species-specific cytochrome b (Cyt b) genes by polymerase chain reaction revealed that sand flies from rural and periurban areas harbored blood from different sources. The most common source of bloodmeal was human, but blood from dog, chicken, and armadillo was also present. We tested the preference for a source of bloodmeal experimentally by feeding L. longipalpis F1 with blood from different animals. There were significant differences between the proportion of flies engorged and number of eggs laid among flies fed on different sources, varying from 8.4 to 19 (P < 0.0001). Blood from guinea pig or horse was best to support sand fly oviposition, but human blood also supported sand fly oviposition well. No sand flies fed on cats, and sand flies feeding on the opossum Monodelphis domestica Wagner produced no eggs. These data support the hypothesis that L. longipalpis is an eclectic feeder, and humans are an important source of blood for this sand fly species in periurban areas of Brazil.

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Os Coleópteros podem ser encontrados nos mais variados habitats terrestres e até aquáticos, com isso se alimentam de toda a sorte de matéria vegetais e animais encontradas pelo mundo. Com tanta diversidade, para se compreender melhor sua biologia e seus hábitos alimentares eles foram categorizados em cinco grupos tróficos: carnívoros, detritívoros, herbívoros, fungívoros e algívoros. Visando identificar as famílias e os hábitos alimentares em Coleoptera adultos, foram realizadas coletas na fazenda da EMPARN–Jiqui (Empresa de Pesquisa Agropecuária do Rio Grande do Norte), em quatro áreas, sendo um Fragmento de Mata Atlântica e três monoculturas: cajueiro anão precoce, coqueiro anão verde e coqueiro híbrido gigante. O tempo foi de 26 semanas consecutivas de 1º de janeiro a 1º julho de 2005. Foi utilizada para a captura dos Coleoptera em cada área uma armadilha do tipo Malaise, na qual foram colecionados 1544 indivíduos de trinta famílias nas quatro áreas amostradas, assim distribuídos: fragmento de mata com maior número de insetos e famílias respectivamente, 692 indivíduos e 28 famílias, seguida pelo coqueiro híbrido gigante com 533 indivíduos e 20 famílias, cajueiro anão precoce com 184 indivíduos e 15 famílias e por último o coqueiro anão verde com apenas 135 indivíduos e 18 famílias. Enquanto que entre os cinco grupos tróficos, quatro foram encontrados: herbívoros, compreendendo 14 famílias; carnívoros, com 9 famílias; detritívoros, 5 famílias; e fungívoros, com apenas 4 famílias; onde as cinco famílias mais numerosas são herbívoras e juntas representam 64% de todos os coleópteros amostrados, e o remanescente de mata tem o maior numero de famílias herbívoras. Com isso o Fragmento de mata demonstra ter uma grande diversidade de entomofauna, sendo um mantenedor e distribuidor mesmo cercado por monoculturas. Wealth of Families and Alimentary Habits in Beetles Captured in the Farm of EMPARN- Jiqui, Parnamirim/RN Abstract. The Beetles can be found in different terrestrial and aquatic habitats and feed of a large variety of vegetal and animal substances deriving from the environment. Searching to understand this high diversity and its alimentary habits they had been categorized in five trophic groups: carnivorous, detritivorous, herbivorous, fungivorous and algivorous. Aiming to recognize these groups, identify families and its alimentary habits in adult beetles, collects were done at the EMPARN – Jiqui farm, a experimental farm placed near the city of Natal, the principal city at Rio Grande do Norte State. Four areas were studied: an Atlantic forest fragment, a precocious dwarf cashew, a green dwarf coconut palm and a giant hybrid coconut palm. During 26 consecutive weeks between January to July 2005, malaise traps were used on each area collecting 1544 beetles of 30 families distributed like this: in forest fragment were captured 692 beetles of 28 families; giant hybrid coconut palm 533 beetles of 20 families; precocious dwarf cashew 184 beetles of 15 families and green-dwarf-coconut-palm where were collected 135 specimens of 18 families. The trophic groups classification shows that herbivorous had 14 families; carnivorous, 9 families; detritivorous 5 families and fungivorous had only 4 families. The five most numerous families were herbivorous representing 64% of all the Coleoptera and in the forest fragment we had the higher number of herbivorous families of all experiment. Then, this fragment has demonstrated to have a big insect diversity being a small support and spread area even so surrounded by monocultivations and the city.

Phlebotomine vectors transmit parasites and can cause visceral leishmaniasis (VL) or cutaneous leishmaniasis (TL). Phlebotomine females are hematophagous but need to ingest carbohydrates, possibly promoting the development of protozoan parasites in their digestive tract. The present study evaluated the species composition and abundance across several habitats in a metropolitan landscape, as well as associations among phlebotomines, plants, and local climatic parameters. Three consecutive monthly collections were carried out in an Atlantic Forest fragment, using CDC light traps in peridomestic areas and cashew, coconut, and mango tree.plantations. Eight species of phlebotomine were captured: Evandromyia evandroi, Lutzomyia longipalpis, Psathyromyia shannoni, Sciopemyia sordellii, Evandromyia walkeri, Psychodopygus wellcomei, Nyssomyia whitmani, and Nyssomyia intermedia, primarily from the forest environment. L. longipalpis was confirmed as a species adapted to anthropic environments, while P. wellcomei was shown to be predominately forest-dwelling. Phlebotomines exhibited diversified food consumption patterns in relation to carbohydrate sources. They fed on both native and exotic species of arboreal and shrubby vegetables and gramineous plants. Journal of Vector Ecology 38 (2): 307-316. 2013.

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BackgroundSand flies are insect vectors of protozoa from the genus Leishmania, causative parasites of visceral and American tegumentary leishmaniases. The present study discusses the bioecological aspects of sand fly species, transmitters of Leishmania protozoa, in different ecotopes of an Atlantic Forest Conservation Unit located in the metropolitan region of Natal, Rio Grande do Norte state, Brazil.MethodsTwo monthly captures were made in 1 year, using CDC light traps, in two anthropized and two preserved environments.ResultsA total of 2936 sand flies belonging to the following ten species were captured: Evandromyia walkeri, Evandromyia evandroi, Psychodopygus wellcomei, Sciopemyia sordellii, Psathyromyia brasiliensis, Lutzomyia longipalpis, Evandromyia lenti, Psathyromyia shannoni, Nyssomyia whitmani and Nyssomyia intermedia. The most common species was E. walkeri (77.6 %), followed by E. evandroi (17.5 %). Forest was the site with the greatest abundance (32.4 %), followed by bamboo grove (26.3 %).ConclusionsSand flies were generally more abundant in the rainy season and L. longipalpis, a vector species of Leishmania infantum, was adapted to anthropized environments. It was confirmed that P. wellcomei, a vector of Leishmania braziliensis in Amazônia, is a species associated with more preserved environments, and occurs only in the rainy season.

Os problemas ambientais têm-se agravado nos últimos anos em decorrência do aumento na extração, produção, consumo e descarte, e à medida que os seres humanos interveem na natureza aumentam os conflitos por recursos, o que mostra a necessidade de se manter um equilíbrio entre o homem e a natureza. Nesse contexto, surge a gestão ambiental como gerência do relacionamento entre o ser humano e o meio ambiente a fim de minimizar os impactos. Desta forma, açães são necessárias visando à minimização de tais impactos em vários segmentos, inclusive nas universidades. A Universidade Federal da Paraíba possui um Plano de Gestão de Logística Sustentável (PGLS), elaborado em 2013, por sua Comissão de Gestão Ambiental (CGA), contemplando material de consumo, energia elétrica, água e esgoto, coleta seletiva, qualidade de vida no ambiente de trabalho, compras e contratações, e deslocamento de pessoal. Apesar da irrefutável importância das propostas contidas no plano, é detectada uma lacuna na ausência de temas relevantes. O objetivo deste trabalho é analisar as propostas do Plano de Gestão Ambiental da UFPB e propor ações que venham a complementá-lo. São propostos: 1) um projeto de acessibilidade para melhoria na mobilidade humana de pessoas com deficiência; 2) um programa de manejo dos resíduos orgânicos por meio da compostagem, sendo seu produto aproveitado como fertilizante e utilizado na universidade como solução viável e ecológica, juntamente com a implantação de uma empresa júnior para gerir esse processo; 3) a inclusão de medidas quanto aos mosquitos vetores por meio de busca e eliminação de focos, monitoramento da ocorrência, bem como a sensibilização das pessoas por meio de educação ambiental; e 4) uma proposta de zoneamento por meio da espacialização das informações do uso e ocupação do solo.

Abstract. Leishmaniasis can affect humans and animals in visceral or cutaneous forms. The cutaneous form has been associated, among other species, with Lutzomyia wellcomei Fraiha, Shaw & Lainson, initially found in the Amazon region. The present study is based on monthly collections from January to December in an Atlantic Forest remnant and a peridomestic environment, using CDC light traps. This is the first systematized study of the specie in Rio Grande do Norte State. The insects were metalized under carbon tape, visualized and photographed with a scanning electron microscope. The most abundant species in the forest area was Lutzomyia walkeri Newstead followed by L. wellcomei. Of the total captured in the forest and the peridomestic environment, around 8% were L. wellcomei, the predominant species in the forest environment in the rainy season. L. wellcomei sandflies were not captured in the peridomestic environment. In the forest this species was found along with Lutzomyia whitmani Antunes & Coutinho and Lutzomyia intermedia Lutz & Neiva. Male and female Lutzomyia longipalpis Lutz & Neiva were predominant in the peridomestic environment. Microscopic analysis of the external morphology of L. wellcomei reveals details of male and female heads.